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The reason the tournament bass anglers are not allowed to troll it is so effective. Anytime I take out a new fisherman I often troll crank baits to cover water at a controlled depth where bass are located. If you are using deep diving crank baits at 18' you use your sonar to keep the lures between 15 to 20', you discover exactly how deep that lure runs at the speed you troll; a slow walking speed for example. Just run the lure next to the boat to determine what speed the lure runs good at. The advantage is the bass will usually hook themselves when trolling and gives the new angler experience in feeling strikes verse hitting the bottom or snagging weeds. Within a few hours you can learn several weeks worth of crank bait experience. Strolling or dragging soft plastic worm on a C-rig or slip shot jrig through bass you have metered is also a good way to teach new worm anglers what a worm bite feels like. You control the proper depth with the sonar and you also know the speed is right because you are using the same rig and can feel the same structure as the angler you are teaching. A few hours of strolling is valuable, then you can cast and retrieve knowing the angler has a good idea what to expect. Tom

I had the opportunity to fish the prototype a few months ago. I fished it weightless and lightly weighted so that all the action was generated by the tail on top of the water. The rigging was with a 3/0 Gamakatsu Offset Worm Hook, tail positioned horizontal. The presentation is similar to a small buzzbait or Rage Shad. I didn't catch any monsters, but the numbers were awesome! Today I fished a 1/4 oz weighted Moaner Stroker Hook with the Menace tail vertical. The presentation is a minnow. I prefer baitcasting gear for fast retrieve lures, so I spooled my Curado 50E with Yo-Zuri Hybrid #6 matched to a BCR893. I wanted to test the rig today in anticipation of using this next month on the river. I think the Menace is going to be killer for smallmouth! http://www.ragetail.com/news/most-recent-news/ http://www.moanerhooks.com/the-stroker-hook/

Take the model name off the reel... At ~$200 you have a reel that has XYZ bearings, spool, drag, etc. Who cares if one year that $200 reel is a Curado and the next it's a Chronarch, IT'S STILL A $200 REEL THAT HAS XYZ AND DOES WHAT YOU'D EXPECT A ~$200 REEL TO DO... Next year I hope the call it something new just so I can hear peoples heads exploding over it. I'm not trying to be snarky, I think people just get caught up in names/paint/"History" and lose sight of the fact that for a $200 reel it's a darn fine product regardless of the name. Nobody is freaking out over Daiwa's reusing the Cielo name on a MUCH inferior newer rod. Or the Aird, or the Legalis or the Presso...

As much as I hate to admit it, Eli has to be top 5. Not of all time obviously, but of right now. Not just for his superbowls, but what he did to get there. 15 4th quarter TD's is no joke. Reguardless if he is a mouth breather or has "dumbface", he is still a leader and pretty d**n good QB. Someone shoot me for hitting post please.

I have not found color to make to much of a difference. i generally stick to natural colors (watermelon seed, pumpkinseed, green pumpkin, and black)

1. Use Trick Worms or Swampcrawlers although ANY plastic will work, including Rage Tail craws and lizards. 2. Use a 1/16 jig head unless a heavier weight is needed to keep jig head on bottom. Be sure the hook is a strong one by a major manufacturer. I use 3/0 and 4/0 hooks. 3. Use high quality jig heads. Sent a PM to you on where I get mine via the Internet. 4. Use 8 pound flourocarbon line on a spinning rig. 5. Rig worm on jig head using the Texas rigging method by placing hook tip under worm's skin. 6. Put some scent on worm, like MegaStrike or JJs Magic. 7. Use the color of plastic based on water conditions as you do with all other plastics. 8. Cast far; cast short; flip; pitch; skip; drop straight down. 9. Cast bait; let fall to bottom; let it sit for 5 or so seconds; take slack out of line; let rod tip vitbrate to have worm's tail flicker back and forth. Return it to yourself slowly, allowing the bait to sit on the bottom as you vibrate the rod's tip. 10. Watch your line and ALWAYS keep finger on line to feel for bumps. 11. You will feel the bump and may or may not see line move. Cross bass' eyes when setting hook over your head. 12. Go to YouTube as suggested above and view the productions. Practice - Practice - Practice I now throw plastics in this order: 1. Shaky Head 2. Wacky Rigs 3. Drop Shot 4. Texas Rigs 5. Carolina Rigs I throw the shaky head everywhere I fish. You consider doing the same. Just remember that you will lose the setups as you throw them in all kinds of structure and the they get hung up. Also run your thumb over your line after every 10 casts and cut out the line that has knicks and cuts. Also retie your jig head after every three to five caught fish. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress and what you catch.

Here's another mixing "tool": http://www.amazon.com/Unknown-RATIO-RITE-Ratio-Rite-Measuring/dp/B0045L9FJM (not recommending Amazon - link is only for reference). I've had one ever since riding two-stroke dirt bikes, but works GREAT to measure exact ratios for however much gas you're mixing, for whatever your mixing it for - motorcycles, lawn-mowers, chain-saws, etc. - anything that's two-stroke including outboards!

No sir I don't. If he crossed me I'd walk away. I have a skill. I get paid well for what I do. While the owner of my company is sitting in the bar drinking or flying to Vegas to pizz away his money, I am putting that money in his pocket. In return, I have a house, car, and boat without the responsibility and liability that he endures. I can have all of this on my own if I wanted to take on all the responsibility/liability. He, on the otherhand cannot.

Ok I'm back.......not as bad as I thought it would be. We have two girls, one starting Middle school and the other starting High school. The wife wanted to talk about how we were going to handle grades, activities after school and dating. As far as the dating goes that's easy.Every boy who ever comes to the house will be introduced to a baseball bat that I had inscribed with the words "PROTECT HER" I will give them the speech about how they are to treat my daughter while she is with him and what I expect yada yada yada. Afterword I will show him the PROTECT HER and explain that while she is with him it is his job to take care of her and protect her, and if he does not he is going to get a very up close and personal look at the PROTECT HER. If he touches her in an in appropriate manner he is going to get introduced to the PROTECT HER, If he treats her disrespectfully he will be introduced to the PROTECT HER , if he neglects her he will be introduced to the PROTECT HER. By the way.... did I mention that he is going to get introduced to the PROTECT HER anyway? To end the conversation I will explain to the spry young lad that if anything happens to my daughter I will have NO PROBLEM GOING BACK TO PRISON Oh yea, my wife also asked that I pitch in around the house more. I think I can handle that. What"s the saying: HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY HOUSE

Lets Dance

I never met the guy But I have seen him eat.......... This is where he lives if you want to stalk him.... Oh yea, he would get real mad if I told you he's scared to take a fish off the hook.... Good to see you back brotha! Ronnie

I'm too lazy to count, here's a few..... Ronnie

Everything works better with a Shimano reel attached to it, lol.

The scale certification for $30.00 is only for members. I took some line in for breakage testing & talked to one of the staff members. I asked him what spring scale is the most reliable for getting certified & he answered that the boga was probably the easiest to certify. I then asked him which digital scale is the most reliable for getting certified & he answered Salter Brecknell was the easiest to certify. There you are from the horses mouth. Just remember all IGFA records must be weighed from land not in the boat.

I recently fished it trailing a 1/2 oz NorthStar flip and swim....results were dynamite. This is easily one of my top 3 trailers now. I have yet to fish it naked since the jig combo has been so hot but I will give it a shot tomorrow morning. Another KO by rage tail!!!! Big O you are the MAN!

Clearly, the current record holder was subjected to / followed all the standing regulations in order to certify his/her catch as the New Record (at the time). If you were that person, you certainly would be proud of your accomplishment. More importantly, you have every right to expect that any & all catches entered to challenge your catch are held to the same standards that you upheld in order to process your catch as The Record. That didn't happen here. A-Jay

I'm kind of addicted to the Lake Fork Magic Shad. It's pretty much the only plastic I use in the fall. Keel weighted swimbait hook with a keeper, then slow retrieve it, swim/pop, use it as a jerkbait, or even wacky rig it on a weighted wacky hook. It's beyond fun!

All I can say is that you will never catch me using a SHEmano!

Hey....Come on now. That hurts Seriously, Eli is just fantastic. I really think he is the most unbeatable "big game" QB in the league right now. When the chips are down...he is money.

didn't buy mine yet but doing the research now. just came across the best video i've seen explaining down imaging vs side imaging. i've seen posts saying s.i. is a no-brainer if you can afford the upgrade. maybe it will help with ur decision. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tdYT3i9ip8&list=FLGxyInFcUX6_t7ZmKLevUUQ&feature=mh_lolz

Hey Chumly - that is Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much information. A-Jay

I'm a Pats fan - but until Mr Brady beats the QB from the NY Giants (I can't even say his name) in the Final Game of the year - It's hard for me to to put the New England QB at the top of this list. Really looking forward to this NFL Season ~ A-Jay

I was seriously thinking about buying Foldcat. Let us know how it is once you take it out! x2 on getting one with digital maximier. Without gas engine, you want to conserve your battery juice as much as you can. If you get the ones without digital technology, then you'll end up spending more money to buy bigger or more battery to achieve the same amount of time on the water, unless you only fish for a short time or not move much when you fish. Traxxis comes with battery indicator. I bought $7 manual circuit breaker and that's all I needed. I bought battery boxes as well (not the minn kota one, too expensive for me), but not using them. They are just in my way.

Love the red eye shad...don't feel the need to use any other lipless

Forget about Rat-L-Traps, Red Eyed Shad RULE!

Bass will move away if there is a larger preditor in close, too close for comfort, even though the bass are preditors themselves, they have their place in the food chain, they will move or hide if threatened.

I don't know if it is technically swim bait, but I also like Swimming Super Fluke for fishing on top of weeds with weighted hook, fished like other folks mentioned above. I feel it glides on top of the weed better because of the body shape.

I fish mine pretty much the same way Bluebasse86 does, I like to try and reel just fast enough that the bait stays just at the tops of those weed occasionally ticking the top. I also like to fish them deep on a jig head, now when I say deep I'm talking around 8' to 12'. You can fish them deeper but I prefer other baits but for that 8' foot range I use a 3/8oz jig head and let it slowly fall to the bottom and then reel slowly, just fast enough that the tail goes back and forth. Doing that seems boring and it is until you get a strike because one thing they do is generate violent strikes, you'll be on your third or fourth cast and just reeling slow like you did before and you're expecting to bring the bait back to the boat for another cast and all of a sudden the rod tip goes into a bend and you rear back to drive the hook home and then you realize how much fun it is to use. I have had the most success with one of the cheaper models, the Luck-E-Strike Bass Magic hollow bodied swimbaits in the 3.5" and the 4.5", the smaller version I use strictly with swimbait hooks and the larger one I use both the hooks and jig heads, and when using the swimbait hooks don't go cheap, get the Owner Swimbait hook with the screwlock with centering pin because they don't work if not rigged perfectly straight.

Fish cannot digest hooks, period. It's an old wive's tale. It's been proven over and over. I really wish this myth would go away.

If you didn't even see bass in the second one and caught fish in the first one, I would just stick to the first one. Even though I guide on Florida's large natural lakes, I love fishing smaller bodies of untouched water. Over time, I've learned that some ponds just aren't productive, especially compared to others, and so I usually avoid them. If you were determined to catch fish at the second pond, I would throw anything that mimics a bluegill - if that's all you saw there, the bass in the pond must prey on them to some degree, and that gives you a place to start. Alternatively, catching bluegill is pretty fun in it's own right, and here in Florida, we can even use them as live bait. Best of luck, Capt. Dalton

I carry every where I can. I am not allowed to bring a weapon on the property of work, so I can't there. If I am at home I carry ( right now ) and every where I go when with the family. Not paranoid just prepared. I just don't want to have to run get my firearm if SHTF. Am I crazy? Please elaborate.